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Florent Amodio: Upbeat and Positive

You recently left your coach Nikolai Morozov. Can you tell me what prompted this decision?

Skating with Nikolai was and will always remain a wonderful part of my career. I will never forget all the great solid work we were able to accomplish together. He is an amazing, unpredictable, talented person and all I can think today, is to thank him for everything he ever taught me.

However, we decided to part ways as I wasn’t feeling focused on my skating anymore. We were six months away from the Olympic Games and I wasn’t on top of my game physically as well as mentally.

It seemed like a sudden move. Were there previous events that made you start thinking that the situation was no longer working for you?

There wasn’t a proper incident that led me to put an end to our working relationship. I just felt that I needed to start over, in order to be ready and focused for the Olympics.

What happened in Los Angeles that made you decide to leave Nikolai Morozov and return to France?

When I got to L.A, I just didn’t feel like I belonged anymore. I needed something different.

Did travelling back and forth between Russia and other countries to train become an issue for you?

Having to travel back and forth from France to Russia, was also part of the reason I decided to come back to France. I have been travelling around since I was 15 in order to practice. I guess that having been doing that for a long time now, I felt like I needed to come back to France. Being back here, has helped me get more balance, which is something that I had been lacking lately.

You spent almost three years living in Moscow. Can you tell me about that experience?

Moscow will always remain a wonderful memory. It definitely helped me grow as an athlete. It was a paramount experience for me. It helped me both improve and become the athlete that i am today.

Did you learn to speak any Russian?

I didn’t really get the chance to learn Russian properly, but I can understand it.

You are now training in France. Has this been a smooth transition?

I’m handling the situation the best possible way. Everyone has been very supportive, the French Federation, as well as my coaches. I work my hardest every day on the ice, so that I can make my country proud at the Sochi Olympics.

Who are you training with at the moment and how is it going?

Katia Krier has done a great job in coaching me during this transition. I worked with her for only three weeks, but we were able to produce great and efficient work on the ice and all I can do is thank her for that.

You are currently training with Alexei Yagudin in Courchevel. How is that working out for you?

I suffer every single day. He teaches me so much. I feel honored to have the opportunity to work with him, when very few athletes have done it in the past. I enjoy every minute of it and I seize this wonderful opportunity and make the best of it, in order to be ready for 2014.

The Olympics will be a tough competition, with high expectations and a lot at stake for many skaters. How are you mentally preparing for this?